The airline’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, argued that the airport could handle more passengers immediately and criticised the Montijo expansion as unnecessarily slow. He also warned that European environmental taxes make routes to the Azores unprofitable.

Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Miguel Pinto Luz responded on Instagram, saying the government “does not respond to intimidation or false claims” and prefers to focus on facts. He stressed that Lisbon Airport isn’t being artificially restricted and is set to handle more than 36 million passengers in 2025. Pinto Luz also pointed out that an expansion plan is already in place, which could increase capacity to 40–45 million passengers.

Pinto Luz also clarified that slot allocations follow European regulations and that TAP and Ryanair operate under the same conditions. Regarding Montijo, he stressed that it was chosen as a military airbase for environmental and planning reasons, and that the new airport will be built in Benavente to minimise impacts on residents and the environment.

Regarding the Azores, Pinto Luz said taxes remain among the lowest in Europe and maintained that Portugal welcomes competition and investment, but “demands respect, truth and seriousness.”